Day & Night
by demented-fool
Summary: Lady Sybil and Gwen's relationship explored.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I only own a certain lack of culture of the Edwardian Era, as you will notice on my dialogs =P

* * *

It has been some weeks since Gwen has had problems getting off bed in the morning. This mainly consisted on the fact that even if she always lay in bed at the same appropriate time every night, she took more than enough to fall asleep.

She dedicated that time before sleeping to imagine how her life would be if she managed to get a job as a secretary. Although most thoughts would begin like this, somehow her ladyship Sybil always managed to get in her mind. If she was dreaming of herself working in London as a secretary, she always ended up being visited by her Ladyship and spending time with her. And she wondered why ever so these thoughts persisted. She admired her ladyship's generous heart and open mind – much like her father – and dared to think they were the closest definition to friends, although she knew of the impossibility of such thing, due to their huge difference in the social hierarchy.

But there was something in her that made Gwen react abnormally to her presence. Why was it different than talking to Anna or any other maid?

She sort of felt trapped and free at the same time. Like the time stops and nothing else mattered. Oh, this wasn't a good thing, was it?

Maybe it was just admiration…she did admire most of the family, and coming to think of it closely, she also felt rather nervous around the rest of them. Although it still felt different with Sybil…more pleasant…again, due to their bonding over the current episodes of her trying to find a job, surely.

She wanted to sort her feelings out but she concluded it wasn't necessary to twist her mind around it…after all, if she got the job she'd be far away soon enough and would've to stop worrying about these persistent thoughts.

These wondering only perturbed Gwen at night. During the day she didn't even have the time to think or venture to any kind of day-dreaming, with all the work she had to do. Unless of course she had to cross paths with Miss Sybil, in that case she'd have to constrain herself and try to behave like the maid she was, with the due respect and limits imposed. But it was so hard! Her ladyship kept on being too nice and gentile with her! Sometimes she thought she didn't deserve that much attention but on the other hand she quite enjoyed it, although she never dared to show too much of her joyful self and merely answered with a modest 'thank you'.

Another day was beginning at Downton Abbey. Downstairs was busy as always, while his Lordship's family was still peacefully sleeping. Gwen was entitled to clean and prepare the room destined for breakfast, and after that was done they'd wait for the bells.

Gwen's job included much what Anna's did, apart from the fact that she wasn't a Ladies maid of the daughters. She sometimes helped Anna out with their dressing if there wasn't much time on Anna's hands, but that was all. She also had to take care of the misses' bedrooms, but again, that was all taken care of while the ladies were off their rooms, to keep most discretion.

So all in all, Gwen only crossed paths with Lady Sybil once in a while. Sometimes not even once a day. Not that she was complaining. If she needed a friend's opinion she had Anna, that properly fitted an 'older sister' profile. Miss Sybil was more of another kind of Gwen, she felt. Someone with whom she had a lot of common and at the same time none at all.

So after a long day of work, nothing felt fresher and uprising then by coincidence meeting Lady Sybil downstairs.

"Lady Sybil! Is there something you need?" – Gwen asked, rather shocked of seeing one of the ladies downstairs in all that fuss it was dinnertime.

"Oh, Gwen, thank god I found you. I just arrived from the village and I needed to talk to you. Come, here." She guided her into Carson's office which was obviously unoccupied at the moment due to the dinner rush.

Gwen didn't feel very comfortable talking to Lady Sybil there, but she reckoned it was better than having all the servants trying to eavesdrop.

"Is something the matter?" She asked, taking this chance to observe Lady Sybil's attire. She really was quite beautiful in anything she dressed.

"I've just come from the village where by chance I met one of my mother's connections. On the midst of our conversation she mentioned the company her husband owns is in need of employees, and I didn't lose the chance to ask which kind, to which she said amongst some other jobs, a secretary! I did tell her about you!" – She said this without even stopping to breathe more than once and you could see from her brightened face she was as enthusiastic about this as Gwen was beginning to show.

"Oh my…" Gwen begun. She quite lost her words again. How to react to such news in front of Lady Sybil? She wanted to jump and oh! Even hug her but it wouldn't be appropriate!

"Isn't it marvelous, I told you not to give up just yet!" Lady Sybil said, with one of those contagious smiles of hers.

Gwen smiled back without holding back this time and said:

"Oh thank you so very much! I hope that this once I'll have the chance of being accepted!"

Sybil grabbed Gwen's arms very gently.

"Of course you have! This is one of the best chances, having my mother connection and all! Now, I shall write to Lady Portsman at once to schedule an interview!"– She then impulsively gave a quick peck on Gwen's cheek that was already flushing, gave her a reassuring smile and left.

Gwen's mouth hanged there opened for quite a few seconds processing what just happened. When her hand was about to touch her cheek on instinct, the office door opened again and Carson stood there watching her in a questioning manner.

"Would you like to inform me why Lady Sybil just came out of my office, and what type of matter did she have to discuss with you in here?"

Gwen stood there frozen, and then slowly, her hand which was already halfway to her face went down again, as her brain tried to work.

"I, er, she just wanted to oh, inform me…" She failed to explain. Her face was getting redder and redder.

"I see. And what might that information be about? I assume it to be rather important for being told on my office."

"Something regarding a…a- possible job for me, Sir." She decided it was not worth lying "She preferred to come in here so that we could talk privately."

"I see. Well then, in that case you are a very lucky girl to have her ladyship's attention on your case. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to have my office space back, and I'm sure you have some duties to attend for."

"Of course Sir. Excuse me."

Needless to say Gwen did poorly on the rest of her tasks that night.

* * *

Feel free to review. Next chapter will also focus Sybil's thoughts of what just happened.

Cheers*


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for the reviews! :D

This is a **very small** chapter just to explore a bit more of each character's point of view (which are very important before the story develops).

Cheers*

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Lady Sybil has been finding a certain difficulty to concentrate on her mother and sisters conversation lately.

Most of the times she would get bored easily, thinking this life didn't suit her very well. Not that she was complaining about her family's_ very_ comfortable position in life or anything…it's just that she just wanted to feel more useful now and then. To have some other purpose in life than just getting a husband.

Politics gave her something to muse about; it threw fuel to her mind.

But it has been some weeks since her head has been occupied with some other topics, like scheming on how to get Gwen her dream job. Sometimes she felt she was trying to live through her since she couldn't do much in her day-to-day life. But somehow she felt good helping out, and Gwen deserved it after all, being ambitious and hard-working.

There was something on Gwen's fierce and determined personality that caught her attention and respect. She was different from the other girls of her age.

_Do I actually see a friend in her? Should I? … _She thought the day after talking to her downstairs. Her mother was arguing with Mary - something about Cousin Matthew, _again_. She went back to her musings:

_I suppose I've gone a bit too far on this matter of looking for a job for her – _she reckoned, remembering their recent trip and how they ended up on the mud because of _Dragon_, the horse.

_Why shouldn't we be real friends though? It's not as if it's a crime. It's not common I guess, a Lady and a Maid bonding...oh! But she's way more interesting than most people I've met so far!_

Those were her most frequent thoughts that afternoon. Also, if the kiss she gave Gwen was a bit too far:

_It only felt natural at the moment, and the intention was good, so why worry? _

_I should stop being so impulsive though; Gwen did look a bit perturbed before I left Carson's office._

She got that last part wrong though. Gwen didn't feel perturbed…not in the bad way Sybil was imagining.

Was Gwen confused? Maybe. Shocked? Of course, she wasn't waiting for it.

The problem here is that Gwen just couldn't believe it was a gesture of affection she was worthy of…so every time she got lost wondering what the reason of that kiss was, she just shook her head and faced the fact she was being ridiculous giving it so much importance. Lady Sybil didn't seem too bothered, she acted like it was a thing she did every morning.

So then again her mind kept going back to Carson's office, and suddenly Lady Sybil's hands were grabbing her arms in a way she couldn't describe better than 'weirdly pleasant'.

_Surely for Lady Sybil it was just a way to cheer me up and show confidence in me. And if it really was this way I should just feel grateful for playing a small part on Miss Sybil's interests. _

_She's doing this in the name of all the women of this country who cannot fight for themselves and accomplish their dream. That is all. _

…

…_Oh dear, am I wishing for even more?_

Again, a small pang of frustration ran through her, and she got more and more skeptical about the way she was behaving: as if she suddenly turned into some silly ungrateful girl!

To keep her mind away from her annoying thoughts, Gwen begun observing Daisy and how she was behaving all flustered again when Thomas came anywhere near her.

As much as she tried, Gwen couldn't picture herself doing the same, ever. She'd never display that much interest in a man and being so obvious! Having any kind of interest whatsoever also didn't fit very well in her mind, but that she never admitted consciously.

_It's like Daisy is under some kind of spell and nothing else matt…oh._

The kiss situation replays in her mind yet again.

_No! This is ridiculous. I do not fancy women, let alone Lady Sybil! I am merely overwhelmed with all her generosity and kindness!_

_

* * *

_

So...drama, it begins.

I can't event tell which one of them is more buried in denial :P (Sybil, I daresay)

Anyway, please let me know if I'm going too far with their internal dialogs. This is my way of getting into their point of view and trying to portray them with justice, slowly getting into their minds, justifying their actions and then the rest comes along!


	3. Chapter 3

Today was the day of the interview with Mrs. Portsman.

Gwen was naturally nervous, trying to focus on her daily duties and keeping her head of possible worst case scenarios.

Lady Sybil had come to her earlier that morning to tell her she'd accompany her later today to the interview, as a way of offering some moral support. She also was hoping that her presence would make some influence in the final decision.

In Sybil's mind, though, Gwen didn't need 'side-help' to get the job. They needed a secretary over at Portsman Exportations, and she had the required abilities: speed in writing (one day Sybil managed to convince Gwen to show her writing skills – she very much appreciated watching how her fingers confidently typed away random sentences in the typewriter); motivation; and she was very professional, due to her experience in being a maid in a very respectful house.

All in all, it'd only go bad if Gwen was too nervous, which she was in the morning when she met her downstairs. Sybil gave her some motivational compliments (that were pretty easy to give, having in mind she really admired Gwen), and they seemed to work for the time being.

They agreed that Gwen would use one of Sybil's dresses, and so, at the scheduled hour, Gwen went upstairs and knocked nervously at Sybil's bedroom door.

Sybil turned around excitedly from the window and literally run for the door.

"How are you feeling?" She asked Gwen, as she entered the bedroom, head laying low.

"Oh, a little nervous, but I'll be fine soon enough" Gwen's typical defense mechanism was mostly used around Lady Sybil. In a way she didn't want to look weak around her, but at the same time she wanted to remain modest.

There was something about "opening up" to her Ladyship that didn't feel right – again, some level of respect had to be established – but deciding to which extent … that was always the problem.

Lady Sybil approached Gwen and raised her chin with her right gloved hand.

"You are a very capable, independent sort of woman, Gwen. You could've stayed low and be a maid all your life – but no – you decided by yourself to be a secretary and you practiced typing in secret. The difficult part of deciding and having the courage to move onwards is already surpassed. You have no idea how much you've accomplished so far. After all this effort, are you really going to be nervous? You have no reasons to!" Sybil said all this staring to Gwen's now determined brown eyes.

They stayed a few more seconds in silence; the only thing moving was Sybil's hand from Gwen's chin to the side of her cheek, her other hand doing the same while she stepped closer to the maid.

She didn't know what possessed her to be so affectionate, but one thing felt very real – it was like they have bonded and something really strong was pushing them together. Gwen couldn't take staring at Lady Sybil for another second and as usual she looked down – and on the way she quickly glanced to her Ladyship's lips, as if they represented some kind of forbidden territory. And it was! What was she thinking?

Gwen snapped out of her reverie and stepped back out of Sybil's reach.

Sybil felt like she made Gwen uncomfortable, exactly the opposite she wanted. She didn't regret the intrusion of personal space she just did, but seeing Gwen all flustered required some kind of immediate mending:

"I'm sorry if I've made you uncomfortable Gwen. But I feel like we're friends and there's no need for formalities." She said this in a very low, calm and sincere voice.

Gwen was blushing very strongly by now, looking everywhere but to her Ladyship. She finally gathered the courage a few seconds later to speak her mind, still not making eye contact though:

"I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to manage that."

"Why not? We're practically the same age, you're about to stop working for my family – you should begin to get used to treat me as an equal, but above all, as a friend. Have I not gained the right to be your friend by now? I really wish I had."

Gwen's mouth stayed open a few seconds while she processed all she heard. Lady Sybil really longed to be her friend. That changed things a little bit. A little big bit. Seeing her being so open and vulnerable at this moment, opened her eyes into the human being Lady Sybil was, like any other. Her birth in a wealthy family was the only thing that made them different.

Having this barrier torn down almost completely now, Gwen felt more at ease to add:

"You have! I'm just too used to being a maid here. I'm sorry; I'll try to be less formal".

That instantly produced a beautiful broad smile from Sybil, and with that she begun rambling about what dress Gwen should use for the interview.

Having to leave the formal attitude around Lady Sybil would make things difficult for her. Being formal helped her being less vulnerable – she could hide her thoughts and feelings behind the 'maid wall'. Now though, if she got too comfortable, she feared she might say things she shouldn't, or do something inappropriate – like staring at her lips again, that couldn't happen ever again.

But it did a couple more times during the wardrobe selection. Lady Sybil was being very generous with her touches, and their proximity was reaching an unbearable level. Gwen felt her cheeks flush all the time, even though Sybil didn't mention it so maybe she was just making a big fuss out of nothing. Why though, couldn't she be close to this specific girl without having this feeling in her heart, like it was being tightened by something invisible?

It got worse when she had to try dresses on. Generally it was the other way around, Gwen and Anna helping them with the clothing (though Gwen only helped out in very rare occasions). But now it was Lady Sybil undressing her and at a certain point Gwen assumed all her body might've changed to a red tone and stay like that for eternity.

Sybil pointed something out about Gwen's freckles on her shoulder, but she didn't not hear the whole sentence, so she stated:

"Oh I hate them. I swear they multiply every day"

"I find them adorable." Lady Sybil said, as she helped Gwen dressing her under vest – before she closed it up around Gwen's shoulders she intentionally gave them a gentle rub with her fingers and a playful peck on the back of her neck.

Gwen was now seriously wondering where the limit of their friendship was. She just broke the maid/lady barrier a few minutes ago; she didn't feel comfortable enough to get any closer right now. Even if the touches felt strangely good.

Sybil sensed Gwen's body stiffening with her actions so she said; in a very innocent way that only Lady Sybil can manage:

"I have a feeling you're still not very comfortable around me"

"You-I…you don't make me uncomfortable. It's just…Anna was the only one I could call a friend and somewhat my relationship with her seems so much different than … with -with you."

Sybil was still behind Gwen, helping with the dress now – that was a gentle blue color. She pondered on what Gwen had just said.

"I think…you and I are very much more alike, and that's the main difference. Don't you think? We both want independence, to be the owners of lives. And that makes us closer …intellectually." She hesitated for a moment there. She knew it wasn't just intellectually that they were growing closer.

Gwen agreed by merely nodding, though her mind was racing. She eventually decided it was better to not give much importance to Lady Sybil's gestures for now. She had to focus on the interview, and then she could try to give some meaning to whatever was going on with Lady Sybil.

And with that, the decision for the dress was made, and everything was planned and arranged accordingly to the schedule. Sybil had asked her father for the car previously, explaining the whole situation – so Branson was already waiting by the main entrance to give the ladies a ride.

* * *

I hope this one was as believable as the previous chapters. The interval between their writing was so afar that I fear something might feel disconnected. Let me know what you feel, as long as it's constructive criticism I'm open to anything :) 


End file.
